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2028 Overall Rankings: Summer Stock Report

September 17, 2025
By Shooter Hunt
Vice President, Scouting

A jam-packed summer circuit offered no shortage of opportunities for the 2028 class to shine. From coast to coast, Prep Baseball's staff was on the road, eyes in the stands, notebooks in hand at countless tournaments, high-profile showcases, and regional events. The summer culminated in one of the most significant evaluation points on the calendar: the regional Prep Baseball Super Sophomore Games, where many of the nation’s top talents squared off in a setting built for competition, projection, and separation.

Whether it was catching an under-the-radar arm flashing electric stuff at a Prep Baseball Tournament or watching a highly touted bat barrel up velocity under the bright lights of a national showcase, Prep Baseball’s boots-on-the-ground scouting team was present and dialed in. The Super Sophomore Games, in particular, provided an elite proving ground matching top-end arms against physical bats and twitchy athletes, offering evaluators a crystal-clear lens through which to assess the class. With multiple regional sites loaded with future dudes, the event validated risers, confirmed early standouts, and brought new names into the mix.

As a result, the 2028 Overall Rankings have expanded to 300 names. While the list is sure to evolve in the coming months and years, this group already shows signs of frontline potential with high-impact tools scattered across the board.

The foundation has been laid. The class has been tested. And now, with a full summer in the books, it’s time to take a closer look at where things stand nationally.

***CLICK FOR TOP-300***

TRIO AT THE TOP

A trio of top spot contenders reside in the top-three in the class as OF/RHP Dexter McCleon Jr. (Buford HS, GA) not only maintained his status as the top player in the class, but surged to new heights, elevating an already skyscraper ceiling. The 6-foot-2, 193-pound two-way prospect blazed a 6.42 60-yard dash time while exhibiting electric hands at the plate before pumping out a mid-90s fastball on the mound during the Super Sophomore Games at LakePoint.

The excitement around new No. 2-ranked player, LHP Greyson Bell (Daniel Boone Area HS, PA), resides around how high his floor is set, compounded by the fact that his ceiling is sky-high too. The wiry, athletic 6-foot-2, 175-pound southpaw boasts an unmatched arsenal in the class that includes keen understanding of a low-90s fastball profile next to exciting feel for spin including both a slider and curveball (as well as a quality changeup). A real athlete who can also swing the bat, Bell holds unteachable assets that, combined with a sturdy foundation, provide the opportunity to emerge as a frontline talent in the class.

Finally, RHP/3B Striker Pence (Santiago HS, CA) has what it takes to be the most exciting arm to come through the prep ranks in a generation. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound two-way player hums in a loose 100 mph fastball that still (shockingly) shows signs of additional velocity to come. Adding to the allure of the pure arm talent is the makings of both a plus slider, 83-85 mph, and changeup, 87-88. Hardly maxed out physically, the potential growth and development is astounding, and when taking into account that Pence also swings a heavy barrel from the left side, there can presently be no ceiling set on his upside.

TOP-25 NEWCOMERS

+ No. 10 SS Lio Garcia (Buford HS, GA)
A gifted 6-foot, 160-pound athlete with a real chance to stick at shortstop, Garcia made an impact at the varsity level for national power, Buford, before elevating his game to new heights throughout the summer. A 6.6-runner with sensational data metrics that provide the look of a potential five-tool prospect, Garcia’s winning ways are impossible to ignore on the diamond.

+ No. 11 LHP Owen Burnes (Dexter HS, MA)
At 6-foot-3, 205-pounds with an efficient, athletic delivery that provides for an ease of operation, Burnes already has the foundation to excel in coming years. Boasting an impressive arsenal that includes a fastball that runs up north of 90 mph, his advanced feel for pitching helps elevate an impressive array of secondary offerings. Mixing and matching with multiple spin profiles (slider/curveball/cutter), Burnes has a chance to make steady jumps in coming years.

+ No. 12 SS/P Jeremiah Hall (Maple Mountain HS, UT)
Presently, it is hard to decipher where Hall’s highest upside resides: as an electric, ultra-polished right-handed arm or a dynamic, 6.6-runner with an impact right-handed stick. Regardless of where he ends up, there is plenty to get excited about, and the Utah native still shows signs of significant jumps to come.

+ No. 15 OF D.J. Ford (Plant HS, FL)
Ford’s electric combination of speed and strength already shines on the diamond as his physical right-handed stroke impacts baseballs with surprising force. Able to move the barrel around while covering the plate, his swing decisions stood out throughout the summer along with some dynamic upside in all phases including some sub 4.0 run times. In game looks saw a player willing to go 100% at all times, and Ford has the tools that get scouts and recruiters excited.

+ No. 20 RHP/SS Jax Janeski (JSerra Catholic HS, CA)
Janeski’s loose, whippy arm and competitive two-way ability are likely to draw the admiration of the scouting community in coming years. Wide-shouldered at 6-foot-4, 190-pounds with room to add significant strength, his greater upside, whether as a right-handed hitting shortstop or quick-armed starter, is yet to be discovered.

+ No. 22 RHP/3B Cullen Scott (Melissa HS, TX)
Scott embodies what has come to be expected out of the exciting young prospects in the Lone Star State: built like an ox, powerful fastball, and dynamic athleticism. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder ran his fastball up to 95 mph early in the summer and still shows signs of even greater jumps as more polish comes. Even more exciting about the upside on the mound is the athleticism that he shows as a position player with a powerful right-handed stick. Either way, Scott is a must-follow player in the class who might only be starting his climb.

SOPHOMORE STOCK UP 📈

+ No. 29 SS Alex Rodriguez (Plant City HS, FL)
+ No. 34 OF Flip Watters (Rochester Adams HS, MI)
+ No. 60 LHP/OF Breck Hemphill (Harrison HS, GA)
+ No. 62 RHP Tommy Driver (Ballston Spa HS, NY)
+ No. 65 RHP Brock Blessington (Sam Houston HS, LA)
+ No. 66 SS Emilio Young (Mater Dei HS, CA)
+ No. 75 3B/RHP Krue Patrick (Staley HS, MO)
+ No. 77 OF Colton Fitzgibbon (San Ramon Valley HS, CA)
+ No. 78 RHP Owen Murphy (Haverford School, PA)
+ No. 86 SS/RHP Bradley Hastings (Bishop Kelley HS, OK)
+ No. 91 OF Mikey Batiste (Ontario Blue Jays, CAN)

MORE OF SHOOTER’S NAMES TO KNOW

It’s way too early in the process to call these guys sleepers, but some names of players that warrant a close watch throughout the winter and next spring.

+ SS David Vargas (Cartersville HS, GA)
+ LHP Ty Pohl (Evansville North HS, IN)
+ SS Jake Welch (Lehi HS, UT)
+ SS Thomas Piscorik (Wakefield HS, NC)
+ C Julian Martinez (Stony Brook School, NY)
+ C Peyton Burgess (Millenium HS, AZ)
+ RHP/OF Pryce Pinkins (Oxford HS, MS)
+ OF Connor Bresler (Delbarton HS, NJ)
+ LHP Jude Huff (Magnolia West HS, TX)
+ C Mason Glover (Sussex Academy, DE)
+ RHP Tyler Howard (Spotswood HS, VA)
+ RHP Lucien Kovalcik (Ecole Kenwood, CAN)
+ RHP Holden Wilcox (Dublin Jerome HS, OH)
+ RHP Tyler DeHann (South Gibson HS, TN)
+ SS Griffin Gowens (Greenville HS, SC)

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